


Free as a Bird

by patrokla



Category: Lock (Band), The Libertines
Genre: Multi, Open Relationships, Pre-Slash, also mentions of the wolfe, i apologize for all of this, the tags make it sound like things happen but it's just a phone conversation really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-08 01:27:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5478158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patrokla/pseuds/patrokla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Tell you what, let’s make a deal. If Edie wants to bring a bird over for a few days, clear out and head my way. Let her have her space, and you have your space. How’s that sound?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Free as a Bird

**Author's Note:**

> There is not a single person who knows of this account who wanted to read anything like this. I'm so sorry. I saw that instagram picture and things...snowballed from there. 
> 
> One day I'll write quality fic again. I'm working on a Velvet Goldmine AU and an Only Lovers Left Alive AU, and instead of writing those today I just wrote this nonsense. 
> 
> Locking this to users-only after a week because if Edie ever saw this I would Die.

“Oh my god,” Peter says, laughter clear in his voice through the phone. He’s been saying the same thing and laughing for about twenty minutes now, and Carl is getting tired of it.  
  
“It’s not funny,” he says, “It’s a disaster.”  
  
“Carlos, m’boy, you’re not being much of a libertine right now,” Pete says admonishingly.  
  
“Fuck that, don’t you get all preachy on me. I just - it doesn’t seem normal, does it? Do a lot of couples do this?”  
  
“Have open relationships? I mean, I dunno. Probably not when kids are involved,” Peter muses, “but I bet a lot of them want to.”  
  
“The kids!” Carl says desperately, “Is she not thinking about them? How could she-“  
  
“Carl,” Peter says, any trace of laughter completely gone now, “Sit down, yeah? Edie didn’t say anything about leaving you. And she doesn’t want to take a break. She just wants to have looser boundaries, explore things a bit. There’s nothing wrong with that.”  
  
“But what if she meets a- a woman, and decides she doesn’t want me? Ah fuck, it’s because I’m old, isn’t it. I’m too old for her, I tied her down too young. She wants to be free as a bird…”  
  
He can feel Peter rolling his eyes heavenward as he speaks, and Carl knows it’s foolish but there is always a lingering part of him that worries about all of that, about getting older.  
  
“Do you trust her?”  
  
“Of course,” Carl snaps, offended. “She’s the mother of my children, she’s my family. I trust her.”  
  
“So trust her to do this. It’s not like she said you’ve got to stay at home and be a monk, is it? You could do some experimenting yourself,” Peter says slyly.  
  
This time Carl is the one rolling his eyes.  
  
“I already know who I am and what I like,” he says, ignoring Peter’s snort of laughter. “But you’re right, I suppose. About the trust.”  
  
“I’m right about many things,” Peter says.  
  
“Alright, don’t get too carried away,” Carl says dryly.  
  
“Me, carried away? I’ve never been carried away in my life, Carlos, not even on a stretcher. Unlike _some_ people.”  
  
Peter’s got the upper hand there, so Carl just huffs into the phone, mock-offended. He’s glad they can joke, that neither of them are on guard searching for implications right now.  
  
“Hey, why don’t you come to Hamburg?” Peter says after a few moments of silence. “I’m recording the solo album, could do with some company. And there’s a song that needs your expertise, you know that ‘ooh britannia’ one?”  
  
“Yeah, I don’t know,” Carl says. “I mean I know the song, the down the river one, isn’t it? But going over…I don’t know if that’s a good idea. We’ve got the tour coming up and all.”  
  
“Tell you what, let’s make a deal. If Edie wants to bring a bird over for a few days, clear out and head my way. Let her have her space and you have your space. How’s that sound?”  
  
“I suppose it might be alright. Is it just you up there?”  
  
“Mostly, Katia and Wolfie are around a bit - don’t groan, I told you he’s clean now. I’m in this flat that’s got stairs up to the roof, good place to bring the guitar and work on something, or just-“ Peter breaks off to start humming Vera Lynn, and Carl can’t help but smile.  
  
“Yeah, alright. If she brings anyone home. I’m not going to leave the boys by themselves.”  
  
“Of course not,” Peter says. And then, apropos of nothing, “Did you know Wolfman's always fancied you?”  
  
Carl chokes on air.

“What? Really?”  
  
“No,” Peter says, breaking into laughter. “God, can you imagine? No, you’re too short for him, I think.”  
  
“Fuck off,” Carl says weakly, “I’m not coming to see you if he’s going to try to sleep with me.”  
  
“Nah, he won’t,” Peter says, and Carl ignores any emphasis on the word ‘he’ for his own sake. “You’re so vain, Carlos. Not everyone wants to sleep with you.”  
  
“No, some people would rather toss off a frog,” Carl says, and Peter laughs.  
  
“I says wot I mean and I mean wot I say,” he says in a Cockney accent that has only grown worse with time.  
  
“Oh," he adds a second later, "Bring a guitar with you when you come.”  
  
“I might not be coming at all.”  
  
“Sure, Mister Barat. Just remember to bring it.”  
  
“I will, I will.”  
  
“And don’t try anything on with Wolfman.”  
  
“Just as long as you don’t either,” Carl says, and Peter hums.  
  
“I’ve got to go, but text me when Edie brings the model home, yeah? And talk to her! And bring your guitar.”  
  
With that, Peter hangs up, and Carl’s left with an indignant ‘Who says she’ll bring the model home?’ on his tongue.  
  
He shakes his head and pockets his phone, feeling much less out of sorts then when he’d called.  
  
He should probably go pack a guitar.


End file.
